Newsroom - Press Release

Prudential Malaysia Provides Free Face Masks to Low-Income Communities & Schools

KUALA LUMPUR, 24 August 2020 – Face masks have been identified as an effective way to reduce the spread and minimise the risk of contracting Covid-19. As such, the Malaysian government has made the wearing of face masks compulsory in crowded public areas and on public transport. Since the onset of the pandemic, Prudential Assurance Malaysia Berhad (PAMB) in collaboration with its agency force, NGOs and other partners, has extended a number of support measures to meet the health and protection needs of its customers as well as the public. Its current initiatives are focused on providing free face masks to low-income communities to help alleviate the financial constraints that they are experiencing.

Mask distribution to low-income and disabled communities

Since 2011, PAMB in partnership with Yayasan Generasi Gemilang and Beautiful Gate Foundation, has been providing free financial protection to low-income urban communities and the disabled community respectively. The programme, known as PRUKasih, provides eligible households from participating communities with temporary financial relief when the breadwinners in their families are unable to generate income due to an accident, illness or death.

To provide face masks to low-income communities, PAMB partnered with its 19,000 strong agency force to donate and distribute more than 2,500 boxes of face masks to all 35 PRUKasih communities across the country. To date, more than 30,000 households and 1,228 people with physical disabilities are covered under the PRUKasih programme.

Free face masks for schools

At schools, both teachers and students are at high risk of contracting the virus and reports have indicated that asymptomatic infections risks are much higher among children as compared to adults[1]. To provide protection to students and teachers, PAMB is partnering with FINCO (Financial Industry Collective Outreach) - a collaborative initiative pioneered by all financial institutions in Malaysia with the support of Bank Negara Malaysia - to distribute free face masks to students from 35 selected schools with high needs. 

Commenting on both initiatives, Eric Wong, Chief Customer & Marketing Officer of PAMB said, “During this period, the hardest hit group are from the low-income or under-served communities. Prudential Malaysia has been working with NGO partners to contribute and provide aid as part of our long-term commitment to support underserved communities by making healthcare more affordable and accessible. With these face masks, we hope to provide these communities with the necessary protection that they deserve so that they too can continue to work and go to school safely and with peace of mind”.

 

[1] Give all students reusable masks since usage compulsory next month, former deputy health minister tells Putrajaya – Malay Mail, 27 July, 2020